The present invention relates to a connector, and more specifically, to a narrow-pitch connector mounted in a portable personal digital assistant (PDA) or the like as an interface, and further to a shape of a contact thereof.
Conventionally, an electrical connector of this type includes an insulator and a plurality of contacts retained in array by the insulator.
Each contact is formed near one end thereof with a connecting portion extending in a direction substantially perpendicular to a thickness direction of the contact for soldering a cable or a lead wire thereto. A forward end of the connecting portion formed near the one end of each contact is located with a clearance in a contact pitch direction of the connector from the adjacent contact near the other end thereof.
For enabling mounting of the conventional bent-shaped contacts, interference between the contacts is prevented by deviating the positions of the connecting portions outside the maximum width of the contact. However, the whole connector is enlarged in size corresponding to the deviation of the positions of the connecting portions, and therefore, it has been difficult to achieve reduction in size of the whole connector.
Further, conventionally, the shape of the connecting portion of each contact that becomes necessary, for example, upon soldering a cable or a lead wire, is formed by perpendicular bending of one end of the contact. With respect to the bent shape of the connecting portion of the conventional contact, when applied to a narrow-pitch connector, a range corresponding to a distance from a forward end of the connecting portion formed near the one end of each contact interferes with the adjacent contact, and therefore, it has been difficult to mount the contacts in the insulator.
Moreover, since distances each between the connecting portions of the adjacent contacts increase, respectively, and become asymmetric to each other, there is a drawback in a connector for use in high-speed differential transmission that an impedance changes depending on a combination of terminals to which differential signals are fed.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a narrow-pitch plug connector including contacts each having a cable connecting portion, which has been improved in size reduction and high-speed transmission characteristic.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a plug member that is used in the foregoing plug connector.
According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a connector which includes a plurality of contacts arrayed in a contact pitch direction, and an insulator fixedly retaining the contacts. In the connector, each of the contacts includes a contact portion to be connected to a counterpart connector, a retention portion retained by the insulator, and a terminal portion to be connected with a cable or a lead wire. The terminal portion includes a connecting portion to which the cable or lead wire is soldered, and is projected from the insulator in an axial direction of the contact. The connecting portion is formed obliquely in the contact pitch direction.
Here, in the present invention, it is preferable that the connecting portions are formed zigzag in the contact pitch direction in the foregoing connector.
Further, according to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a connector member includes a plurality of contacts arrayed in a contact pitch direction being a second direction crossing a first direction being a fitting direction, and an insulator fixedly retaining the contacts. In the connector member, each of the contacts includes a contact portion to be connected to the counterpart connector, a retention portion retained by the insulator, and a terminal portion to be connected with a cable or a lead wire. The terminal portion includes a connecting portion to which the cable or lead wire is soldered, and is projected from the insulator in an axial direction of the contact. The connecting portion is formed obliquely in the contact pitch direction.